PERSHORE HIGH SCHOOL Governors Report to Parents 2007

PERSHORE HIGH SCHOOLGovernors Report to Parents 2007Pershore High SchoolStation RoadPershore, Worcestershire, WR10 2BXTelephone: 01386 552471http://www.pershore.worcs.sch.ukLocal Authority:WorcestershireAge range: 12-18Number of pupils: 1210Head teacher:Mr Clive CorbettChair of governors: Mr Rob PhillipsWhat have been our successes this year?Pershore High School is widely acknowledged as a good school with areas of outstandingpractice. Our successes this year include:• Improved performance in public examinations at KS3, GCSE and A level• Improved quality of Teaching, Learning and Assessment• Improved use of data to inform student progress• Re-designation as a Technology College• Achieving Training School Status• Outstanding Sixth Form OFSTED Inspection• The continued recognition of student involvement in a wide range of extra curricularactivitiesWhat are we trying to improve?In the wake of a successful Ofsted inspection in January 2006 we are now faced with thechallenge of building upon progress made over the last four years to move from "good tooutstanding" by 2010. This will be measured by further improvements in:- the quality of teaching and learning;- performance in tests and examinations, with enhanced value added at all levels;- the use of ICT in all subjects including the development of our own Virtual LearningEnvironment;- an increasingly personalised and imaginative curricular provision.- the buildings and fabric of the school .

How do we make sure all pupils attend their lessons and behave well?Attendance is monitored closely by our attendance officer. Her job includes:phoning parents if a student's absence has not been explained;carrying out spot checks on attendance at lessons.This system means that general school attendance and that in lessons is very good and hasimproved significantly over the last four years. The school also has clear and efficient systemsfor rewarding good behaviour and for dealing with students when their conduct falls short ofour expectations.The school has a very strong pastoral system of year groups, backed up by a new Housesystem. Positive attitudes are seen in lessons from the vast majority of students, and there areharmonious relationships with staff. Discussions with students and observation of theirbehaviour, work and attitudes show that the majority have a strong moral code. New studentssettle very effectively into a friendly and welcoming environment and there are clear inductionprocedures. Visitors to the school regularly comment on its calm and purposeful workingatmosphere.What have pupils told us about the school, and what have we done as a result?Students are swift to offer their views on the school and we have always responded positivelyto their requests for greater student involvement in decision making. This has led to a moredemocratically elected school council, students as Associate Governors, pupil involvement inour self evaluation and School Development Planning processes, and their regularinvolvement in the appointment of new staff at all levels.Changes have been made to the food offered in the canteen as a result of comments bystudents, a SNAC consultation group has been formed and a Chef Manager appointed. Thishas resulted in the complete refurbishment of the dining room and entirely healthier eatingoptions (including the provision of free fruit and filtered drinking water).How are we working with parents and the community?Parents are fully involved in the learning of their children, having easy access to staff andbeing contacted at an early stage when there are any issues to discuss. Their views aregathered through questionnaires that gauge their level of satisfaction with the school and thisprocess is soon to be placed on the school's website. A termly Parents' Forum with theHeadteacher is held, and the Friends of Pershore High School arranges numerous social andeducational events. Each October parents attend the annual meeting with Governors wherethey are invited to participate in small group discussions. Further communication is madethrough a monthly school newsletter that is again provided both in paper format and on line.Particular attention is paid to the quality of links with parents at key points of transition, such asYear 7 to 8, GCSE option choices and Year 11 to Sixth Form.We work hard to maintain close links between the school and its local community. Consultationwith partner schools in the Technology College, Training School and extended servicesprogrammes offers increased opportunities for collaboration across the school's catchmentarea. The further development of closer community links is a vital future action point.

Ofsted’s view of our schoolThe school was last inspected on 11 th and 12 th January 2007 and Ofsted concluded thatPershore High is a good school with some outstanding features.They found:• a committed team of well qualified staff that works hard to ensure that students achievewell both academically and personally;• a school that takes its community links seriously, with a wide local network andimpressive international collaboration that enrich teaching and learning;• highly effective provision for the care, guidance and support of students, particularlysixth formers.• generally good teaching that is conscientiously received by students, who have goodattitudes to learning;• regular assessment and target setting for individual students to inform parents ofprogress;• a broad curriculum that has been enriched by the Technology College specialist status.• rising standards and significantly enhanced provision for information andcommunication technology (ICT);• school leaders with ambitious ideas for the future, particularly in strengthening furtherthe impact of the school in raising aspirations in the locality.Information about our sixth formThe information below is taken from a letter from one of Her Majesty's Inspectors who visitedthe school on 24 th and 25 th September 2007. The visit provided valuable information which willcontribute to national evaluation and reporting. His comments are reproduced below:The evidence used to inform the judgements made included: interviews with staff andstudents, scrutiny of relevant documentation, and short visits to five lessons.The overall effectiveness of sixth form provision was judged to be outstanding.Achievement and standardsAchievement and standards are outstanding. Almost all students who begin level 3 coursescomplete them and meet or exceed challenging targets in doing so. High grade achievement atGCE A level is well above the national average and has improved over the last three years.Overall, students’ progress from their starting points on entry is exceptional, as shown bynational performance data systems that place the school in the top 14% of similar schools.

Quality of teaching and learning of sixth form provisionThe quality of teaching and learning at sixth form, including academic guidance is good.Teachers are generally effective in promoting independent learning in the sixth form, but theschool recognises that students’ independent learning remains an area for development. Theguidance and support provided is highly valued by the students and is outstanding. Students aregiven a highly effective and early introduction to the course work and study requirements in thesixth form, with particular emphasis on the standard of work required.The tracking and monitoring of individual student progress is outstanding. Students showexcellent awareness of their progress towards challenging and stretching targets. They considertheir individual academic review and the very detailed feedback on their work extremelyvaluable in helping them to do as well as they can. Students particularly value their input intosetting their own targets in conjunction with their teachers.Quality of curriculumThe extent to which programmes and activities meet students’ needs and interests isoutstanding. Students settle smoothly into their studies in the sixth form as a result of their highquality induction and accurate guidance regarding course selection. They have a wide choice ofsubjects and the school manages to accommodate most subject combinations. Teachers knowtheir students exceptionally well, and planning accommodates very well students’ priorattainment and knowledge and skills from previous study. There are well-considered anddeveloped plans for further broadening of the curriculum through the provision of additionalcourses and progression routes from Key Stage 4.Leadership and management of sixth form provisionLeadership and management are outstanding as shown by their impact on students’achievement and standards in sixth form provision. As a result there is excellent capacity toimprove.Self-evaluation is extremely effective. Leaders and managers have a very clear understandingof the school’s strengths and weaknesses which informs tightly-focused improvement planning.They use performance data well to drive overall improvement in the sixth form through bothdetailed analysis and the setting of challenging targets. Leaders and managers have workedvery successfully to improve teaching and learning in the sixth form since the last inspection.There are well developed plans to improve the quality of the provision still further.InclusionInclusion is good. Recruitment to sixth form provision is inclusive, reflecting the range ofstudents’ prior attainment at GCSE. The school is well aware of how individual studentsachieve. Teachers monitor and track individual students’ progress extremely well and taketimely action to address under-achievement.Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:• fully implementing plans to improve independent learning.If you would like more information about school policies, including our policies on specialeducational needs and disability, admissions, finance, school food and our complaintsprocedure, please contact us:Our website http://www.pershore.worcs.sch.ukBy telephone 01386 552471